DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Environment & Climate

Taiwan to promote 'urban forests' as national climate resilience strategy

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Taiwan plans to elevate "urban forests" to a national-level adaptation strategy to combat extreme heat and climate change.
  • The initiative emphasizes selecting appropriate trees for specific locations and preserving mature trees, rather than just increasing tree numbers.
  • Experts advocate for long-term planning and institutional support to ensure urban trees thrive and provide sustained benefits like cooling and carbon sequestration.

Taiwan is set to launch a national strategy to bolster its "urban forests" as a key infrastructure for climate resilience, aiming to mitigate extreme heat and the impacts of climate change. President Lai Ching-te announced the initiative, which will be spearheaded by a newly formed "National Urban Forest Promotion Committee."

Urban forests are not just a competition for the number of trees planted, but also require the establishment of dedicated systems from the central to local governments, with the principles of 'planting the right trees in the right places' and 'preserving large trees'.

— Wu ShengWu Sheng, a presidential advisor and committee member, explained the principles behind Taiwan's new urban forest initiative.

Writer Wu Sheng, a presidential advisor and committee member, stressed that the program is not merely about planting more trees but requires establishing dedicated systems from central to local governments. The core principles are "planting the right trees in the right places" and "preserving large, mature trees" to effectively combat the urban heat island effect, sequester carbon, and improve air quality.

Sheng noted that rapid development since the 1970s has replaced many rural trees with concrete structures, diminishing cities' natural cooling capabilities. He criticized past tree-planting policies for lacking long-term professional management, leading to a situation where trees are planted but not sustained. He urged that protecting and nurturing existing trees be integrated into overall policy, even when public projects necessitate removal, prioritizing preservation or proper transplantation over destruction.

The biggest problem currently is not a lack of tree planting, but a lack of complete systems and planning.

— Wu ShengWu Sheng highlighted the systemic issues hindering effective urban greening efforts in Taiwan.

He further cautioned against prioritizing ornamental species that bloom briefly over trees that provide substantial shade and cooling. Sheng advocated for a long-term vision, planning for trees that can grow for 50 to 100 years, avoiding cycles of planting and cutting. He suggested native Taiwanese species like the Chinese toon tree, known for its broad canopy and climate adaptability, as suitable choices for sustained shade and ecological benefits.

Trees have multiple functional values including shade, cooling, carbon sequestration, air purification, and maintaining biodiversity.

— Wu ShengWu Sheng detailed the multifaceted benefits of trees for urban environments and climate mitigation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog